India posted a 63 runs win over the West Indies at the Sabina Park in Jamaica. This meant that India went up in the test series 1-0. India continued its winning ways from the ODI into the test format, but it was not very easy.

The first innings saw a complete collapse of the top and middle order batsmen. It was the146 run partnership between Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina that helped India recover from a dismal position. Dhoni had stated that he was very pleased with the lower order batting and the amount of responsibility that was shown by the team players during the course of the test match.

It was the solid innings of Dravid in the second innings that laid a strong foundation on which the Indian bowlers could capitalize. And they did exactly that with Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma picking up three wickets each. The spinners also kept things under check and kept the pressure on the opposition.

West Indies on the other hand did little wrong, but also never did much to look like having the upper hand in the match. They managed to pick up the early wickets every innings but then there were partnerships by the Indian batsmen which swung things away from them. Their bating still remains their weak link. The West Indians need to develop their fitness level and should remain out in the middle for a longer time. They need to be careful in the initial stages when they come to bat and avoid throwing away their wickets cheaply.

The same problem plagues the Indian team as well. The missing opening pair of Ghambir and Shewag is something that is pestering the Indian team now. The openers are not able to stand up to the new ball. The middle order has also not been very impressive.

The most impressive were the bowlers; being economical they were able to pick up wickets at crucial times. The batsman can only score so much runs but to win a test match the team has to bowl out the whole opposition twice. Praveen Kumar seemed to be the star bowler emerging in the test. His line and length was on spot making it difficult for the Windies.

It is apt that Dravid was named the ‘man of the match’for his 112 knock but overall, it was a team effort to win against the Windies on their home soil, taking a lead in the series. To continue on the winning ways, the team still needs to perform a little better. The batting needs a lot of improvement and with the senior members like Laxman and Dravid coming in the team, the young players have great sources to learn from.